The Internet Is Not Neutral.
We socialise less and spend more time on social media since the COVID pandemic.
And who's winning the internet?
The far right.
The internet is not neutral.
It doesn't automatically work for us.
The way that charities, campaign groups and the social justice sector use the internet is completely different from our counterparts.
They have more money & power than we do.
They treat digital as central to their overall strategies. It's not an add on.
It doesn’t feel as if our funders have the same desire to fund digital as theirs do.
Countless studies show that the platforms have an inbuilt bias - the platforms favour and amplify right‑leaning content.
The bias is built‑in because social media platforms know that outrage drives clicks and engagement and that’s what they rely on to sell advertising.
When it comes to ethics, we play by different rules.
The NGO sector takes communications and charity law seriously, but the right are not as concerned by the rules as we are.
And then we get to NGO budget culture.
The right don’t worry about Return on Investment.
Every time an NGO spends money on digital advertising they’re expected to show a direct return.
We don’t invest in awareness and persuasion as much as the right do.
This gives ground to those who want to spend money on influence and persuasion for long term impact.
Something is gonna need to change.
Chart source, the wonderful More In Common’s email received earlier today, 8 August 2025.
